I was sitting outside at in-n-out burger one day and 3 guys stopped at my bike to check it out. I kept my mouth shut as I was eating and didn't want to claim it as my bike.

The conversation went something like this.

That's a cool bike, it's like one of those KLR's!! Id like to get one one day.
Yeah it's like a dirtbike with a license plate..You can go anywhere on that bike..
Some guys put a gps up here... Shows them all the trails and everything..
Those tires look like they would be slippery in the rain..
Nawww, they ride these things around the world!

And on and on... I didn't dare say a word. My adventure ride that day was to get lunch..

It was a humbling experience and just thought I'd share.

Said "KLR" is a Husaberg 650. It's got over 14,000 miles on it, with no major breakdowns. I guess technically I could have ridden it from Deadhorse to Panama and back. I'd just need to change the oil every day, and stand up most of the time.

KLR riders making fun of KTMs is the epitome of hilarity. Give it a rest, guys. Your bike sucks, and is the laughingstock of the off-road community for over a decade now.

Reading Striking Vikings book, (who rode a KLR down and around South America) I was amazed by how many times he mentioned he had no brakes on a downhill, no power to go through a headwind or pass South American vehicles, and grenaded his engine, electronics and suspension multiple times. Not to mention the shitty suspension thrashed his back.

"Indestructible" KLR.

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Yet he forgets to tell you how old this KLR is, how many miles it has travelled, where it has travelled, and what condition the bike is in now.
Put back together and still running strong.
Read about it here.http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=843744

Your bike sucks, and is the laughingstock of the off-road community for over a decade now.

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Off the grid, you prove you can be snide, condescending, and dismissive; can you not also be ACCURATE?

"Over a decade" appears an imprecise approximation of 26 years of fundamentally unchanged KLR650 production.

Try, "over a GENERATION," when next you bash KLR650's, upgrading your screed with a unit of time more exactly corresponding to the interval you wish to portray!

Can you not grant KLR650's even their just credit for actual time served as, "laughingstock of the off-road community?" Surely, someone of your obvious intellect and sophistication distinguishes between "decade," and "generation." If not, ask a KLR650 rider to explain for you the difference.

KLR riders making fun of KTMs is the epitome of hilarity. Give it a rest, guys. Your bike sucks, and is the laughingstock of the off-road community for over a decade now.

Reading Striking Vikings book, (who rode a KLR down and around South America) I was amazed by how many times he mentioned he had no brakes on a downhill, no power to go through a headwind or pass South American vehicles, and grenaded his engine, electronics and suspension multiple times. Not to mention the shitty suspension thrashed his back.

"Indestructible" KLR.

Click to expand...

Sorry, this shit is just too good not to quote at least one more time.

KLR is the best selling Dual Purpose bike for what... 7 years now? Which I stated a bit earlier, but you ignored because it goes against everything you're trying say. Not a single KTM is even on the list of 10 best selling Dual Purpose Bikes in the USA.

But somehow almost everyone rides KTM's.

Perhaps you mean in the race world everyone rides KTM's... but then again someone just tried to educate me on how KTM's aren't high strung race machines.

Well shit, now I'm confused again.

And Good for you elsalvadorklr for trying to keep the peace. I agree with you 100%.

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Just because a lot of people buy them doesn't make them good. I ran into a group of guys, some on KLR's, at the intersection of HWY1 and the paved road that goes out to Santa Rosalillita in Baja Norte. They had just taken the dirt ROAD that came down from Puertocitos and one of their bikes had been dropped and broken off a footpeg, another had a blown shock, the XR650L in the group seemed alright.

I had just ridden the pacfic coastal road to Bahia Corbin which was mostly gnarly two track and silt beds from Catavina out to the coast and then down before coming back in, about 170 miles of rough terrain. The only carnage to my KTM 640 was a slight oil leak on account of a cheap o-ring sealing the rocker shaft to the rocker cover. I first noticed it around Kelso CA as I had ridden from PHX AZ to Pismo Beach CA, where I changed my oil and cleaned my air filter. I then rode all the way to that intersection and then back to Tucson criss crossing the peninsula and riding more gnarly dirt before my next oil change and checking my valves which hadn't moved since before the trip started. I finally replaced that o-ring about 8 months later when I got tired of cleaning off the side of the jug. That was the extent of the mechanical failures of my fragile race bike KTM during my time owning it. and it wasn't for a lack of dropping the bike, I did plenty of that.

Any one who says modern KTM's are fragile and pure race bikes clearly knows nothing about them and are easily identifiable to anyone who has. KLR's sell a ton because they are affordable and fill a do-it-all-good-enough niche, there ain't anything wrong with that. If you can meet all your needs with a KLR then it doesn't make sense to pay for more bike, but it doesn't make any sense to knock on the manufacture of the most bad ass dependable dual sports on the planet.

KLR650's don't have a horsepower problem as much as it has a weight problem. It is a heavy bike for offroading although that didn't stop me from finding some great trails on it (although it was hard and dangerous.) The truth is, it isn't a great dual sporting bike but they sell a lot of them because when people think dual sporting, they think klr650. It seems like a lot people that get more involved in the offroad end of the spectrum start looking for different/more suitable machines. For the record, I'm not bashing the bike, I'm just saying that throwing a lot of money at it to make it lighter or more powerful is probably going to be a loosing battle from a cost/benefit perspective.

Off the grid, you prove you can be snide, condescending, and dismissive; can you not also be ACCURATE?

"Over a decade" appears an imprecise approximation of 26 years of fundamentally unchanged KLR650 production.

Try, "over a GENERATION," when next you bash KLR650's, upgrading your screed with a unit of time more exactly corresponding to the interval you wish to portray!

Can you not grant KLR650's even their just credit for actual time served as, "laughingstock of the off-road community?" Surely, someone of your obvious intellect and sophistication distinguishes between "decade," and "generation." If not, ask a KLR650 rider to explain for you the difference.

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Thanks for the clarification.

For the record, I don't dislike KLRs. I've seen people do some sick shit on them. Would I? Not on your life. But there are people that love em.

This is a buddy of mine back East, Glenn. He rode the entire Hancock Quarry run with his son on the back of his KLR. Sick. The Quarry run is regarded as one of the most technically brutal dual sports in the NE.
My group only lasted about 30 miles before we were whipped from riding the day before.

For the record, I don't dislike KLRs. I've seen people do some sick shit on them. Would I? Not on your life. But there are people that love em.

This is a buddy of mine back East, Glenn. He rode the entire Hancock Quarry run with his son on the back of his KLR. Sick. The Quarry run is regarded as one of the most technically brutal dual sports in the NE.
My group only lasted about 30 miles before we were whipped from riding the day before.

Funny, everytime I got back from, during, and even before I had a HUGE smile on my face. Cheap to buy, Cheap to build, Cheap to run, and just down right fun! im sure the high strung 650s are a BLAST.......but, after seeing someone's LC4 Adv shit the motor twice in as many years, meh....I dont want that in the back of my head on a long distance run...

Just returned last nite from 18 days in Columbia SA. Rode a 2012 KLR 650 ..did about 3000 miles of paved,dirt..difficult passing long lines of trucks up steep mountain passes etc..I had never ridden one before so had no history with the bike...have a 1200 GS ,650 twin BMW ..it was very adequate for the trip..It would have been nice to have more power for sure but if I was careful with the powerband it worked nicely..no problems with the carb. settings up to 13,000 feet..I reworked the seat so I was able to get my feet on the ground and it had a lowering link in it also..I need about 31in seat height to be comfortable..would I buy one ?? No.. but for that type of a trip it was fine..for the price it is a fine motorcycle..by the way ...if you want an awesome trip go down to Columbia and take a trip with Mike at Motolombia..he is the best guide I have had and I have taken a number of guided trips through South America..London to China etc..